November 09, 2009

The number one thing

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Getting out the door around here is nearly impossible.  It isn't really the baby, as much as it is his two sisters.  Those girls have figured out that if they wait long enough, I will get pulled in another direction before they have to complete a task that doesn't interest them.  So I am getting ignored a lot these days.  

This is particularly true on weekend mornings, when they would like nothing better than to stay in their Pjs until nighttime rolls back around.  This Saturday, I wanted us to all go on an outing together.  After about 20 straight minutes of repeatedly asking them to get themselves dressed, I vented to Brian, "This is why I never leave the house!  There are very few things worth this much aggravation!"

Pausing his soccer computer game for a moment (ahem).  He turned to me and said, "Nicole, why don't you just offer them some candy?" (And he wasn't joking)

Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air and shouted, "That is the number one thing you are NOT supposed to do to be a good parent!"

To which he responded, "NO.  The number one thing you have to do to be a good parent is to keep your SANITY, so that you don't BEAT your children."  

Then he hollered upstairs, "Girls, if you get dressed like Mommy asked, you can have a piece of your Halloween candy."

They were dressed and loaded in 15 minutes. (Sigh)


Now, I wonder if Brian will clean the gutters for a Snickers....

Posted at 10:58 AM in Alternative Parenting, Bry and the Girls | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

February 08, 2009

The other game Brian has taught her

I love telling people that Sizzles digs a good chess game.  Unfortunately, Brian is more proud of having taught her how to play Star Wars Lego Wii, a couple of weeks ago.  Thankfully, the school she will go to in the Fall has a chess club.  Even the  kindergartners can join. 


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December 29, 2008

Where I underestimated my 4 year old

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Apparently, Sizzles is quite capable of learning how to play chess.  Brian began teaching her over Thanksgiving break at my parents house in Florida.  She became so enthralled with the game, we ordered the same chess set on-line and continued the lessons here at home.  If it were up to Sizzles, she would play chess and watch Annie or Barbie Fairytopia all day long.  Currently, Brian plays at least one full game with her almost every day.  With Grams and Popop in town for Christmas, she has been averaging two to three games a day between her Popop and her Daddy.  


And let me tell you, the kid actually PLAYS.  According to Brian, "She likes to attack with her king a little too often, but we are working on that."

We are in full-fledge chess obsession around here and the grown-ups are taking chess tutorials via the computer on the side.  They coach her as she makes her moves, but for the most part, they are playing her full force and have no qualms beating her.  I figure in another couple of weeks she will be completely on her own when she plays one of us.

When I played her, I even witnessed her changing her mind on a move.   She explained that if she took my knight, I could then take her queen on the next turn.  

According to Sizzles her favorite piece on the board is the queen, "Because she can move up and down, left and right, and diagonal.  She is super powerful, Mommy."

Apparently, so is Sizzles.  :)
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September 22, 2008

How Daddy does story time

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Recipe of the Week

Archives of Recipe of the Week

  • Cranberry Pumpkin Energy Bites
    * 11.5 oz box Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola * 1 cup of dried craisins * 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon * 1 cup Lundberg Farms Brown Rice syrup * 1/2 cup creamy soynut butter Spray a 11x7 inch pan with nonstick spray. Stir together granola, cranberries and spices into the bowl; set aside. Bring brown rice syrup to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan. When bubbles start moving from the outside of the pan to the center, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and quickly stir in soynut butter. Immediately pour over granola mixture and stir well. Press into prepared pan and let cool completely before cutting in squares. Store in airtight container.
  • Watermelon Pie-sicles
    Take a large watermelon and cut it in half. Then cut each half into two pieces.
  • Take one of the smaller pieces and remove the melon from the rind.
  • You can either cut the melon into smaller chunks or simply proceed to the next step using the huge hunk of melon.
  • Place the melon in a fine strainer and place the strainer over a large bowl.
  • Using a potato masher, smoosh the melon until there is only pulp and seeds left in the strainer. The juice will drip into the large bowl under the strainer.
  • Using the back of a wooden spoon, push the remaining pulp against the bottom of the strainer to get the last bits of juice out of the watermelon.
  • Pour the juice in a store-bought popsicle contraption or a do-it-yourself popsicle contraption.
  • This should make about 4-6 small popsicles, depending on the size of your container.
  • Freeze for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight
  • Remove from the container. If the popsicles won't come out, place the holder in a bowl of warm water and try again. 6/10/08 12:58 PM
  • Beach Pasta - Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Brie
    From the cookbook, "Seaside: Pastels & Pickets"
  • 4 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 pound Brie, rind removed, torn into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves, cut into strips
    • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
    • 2 zucchini, sliced, broiled
  • 1 eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces, broiled
  • 6 quarts water
  • 1.5 pounds linguine
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Combine tomatoes, Brie, basil, garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, chicken broth, white wine, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, zucchini and eggplant in large bowl; mix well. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours. Prepare the pasta as directed. Toss linguine with sauce in bowl. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Serves 6.
  • Popeye Pasta
    1 pound of bow-tie pasta
  • 3-4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch of asparagus chopped into small pieces
  • 1 small bunch of lacinato kale leaves chopped rather small
  • 1 small or medium vidalia onion
  • 8 oz. of whole milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan
  • 2/3 cup of toasted pine nuts
  • big pinch of coarse salt
  • lots of fresh ground pepper
  • tiny pinch of thyme

    • Place a little olive oil in a large pan. Once the oil is warm, add chopped onion. Cook for about 4 minutes and then add asparagus. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue saute on medium low heat until your pasta is done, making sure not to burn the vegetables. In the meantime, bring a large pot to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling add 4 large pinches of salt, then add the pasta. Boil the pasta for 10 minutes or according to the package instructions: After 8 minutes of boiling the pasta, throw in the chopped kale. When the pasta is done, drain the whole pot (pasta and kale) in the strainer.

    Toss the pasta into the large pan with the asparagus and onion.

    Add ricotta, parmesan and pine nuts. Toss and serve with more parmesan cheese.

  • Patty-Cake Lemon Bars
    For the crust
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter, frozen, plus more for the dish
  • 3/4 cup of confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoons coarse salt
  • For the filling:
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/3 cups of sugar
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp coarse salt
  • 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup whole milk

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish, and line with waxed paper.

    Make crust: Grate butter on a cheese grater with large holes: set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; stir with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture looks crumbly.

    Transfer mixture to prepared dish: press evenly onto bottom with your hands. Freeze crust for 15 minutes. Bake until golden, 16-18 minutes.

    Meanwhile make filling. Whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and milk. Pour over hot crust.

    Bake at 325 degrees until filling is set and edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Lift out; let cool completely then cut. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

  • Cast-Iron Cookies
    Cast Iron Cookie Adapted from the blog My Messy Thrilling Life

    • 2 cups of flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 3/4 cup butter softened
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 3/4 cup brown sugarr
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp. whole milk
    • Lots of chocolate chips

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Bake for 35 minutes. p>

  • Cowgirl Cookies
    2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups of fresh granola (fruit and nut; Bare Naked or Great Harvest fruit version are good substitutes)
  • 1 cup raisins OR dried cherries
  • 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

    • Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

    Beat on medium-high speed the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

    Reduce to low and add flour.

    Stir in oats, granola, dried fruit and chocolate.

    Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. 4/27/08 6:44 PM

  • Strawberry Bread
    Strawberry Bread

    Adapted from allrecipes.com (Ellen Rainey)

    • 3 cups of fresh strawberries, smashed
    • 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
    • 1/8 cup wheat flour
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 1tsp salt
    • 1tsp baking soda
    • 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    • 4 eggs, beaten

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans
    Sprinkle smashed berries with some of the sugar.
    Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl and mix.
    Blend oil and eggs into strawberries.
    Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, until just moistened.
    Divide batter in half into pans.
    Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes on wire rack. Turn loaves out and cool completely.

  • Rainbow Rice
    Open a ziploc bag. Place several drops of food coloring inside the bag. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to the bag. Place two cups of rice into the bag. Seal the bag and squish the rice around the bag until all the grains are colored. Pour the rice on a cookie sheetl, spreading it out into a single layer of grains. Bake on 200 degrees for 30 minutes.